


owls on the court

by tempurah



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Guest Stars, High School, Humor, Platonic Relationships, Reader-Insert, Slice of Life, Spoilers, Volleyball
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-15 03:27:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29552811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tempurah/pseuds/tempurah
Summary: You once heard your overemotional senior say not to think about what's easy, but to think about what's fun.Managing Fukurodani's boys' volleyball club isn't easy, but it's definitely fun.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Reader, Bokuto Koutarou/Reader, Haikyuu!! Ensemble/Reader, Komi Haruki/Reader, Konoha Akinori/Reader, Washio Tatsuki/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 25





	1. akaashi's bad day

**Author's Note:**

> this story will follow the chronological order of events that take place in the 2012-2013 timeline of haikyuu.
> 
> i hope you enjoy!

It's common for a volleyball to soar all the way up to its highest peak, spending several moments in the air spinning freely, soaking the glory of being at the top. However, at some point, regardless of whether it's willing to or not, it would have to fall and ungracefully land on the floor as part of its fate.

Fukurodani's boys' volleyball club is similar to the ball they use to play in this sense. They're at the top of their game most of the time, but it's not every day that they're in tip top shape. As a matter of fact, this specific thought crosses your mind when an off day befalls the vice captain of the team, one late afternoon in the middle of practice.

"Is something bothering you, Akaashi?" Coach Yamiji chooses his words carefully when speaking to the boy. "You seem to be having a hard time concentrating."

Akaashi keeps his eyes on the floor as he answers truthfully. "I'm sorry. There's a lot going on in my mind right now."

"I see. I don't think playing would put you at ease. Why don't you sit this one out first, see if you could sort yourself out?"

Usually—that's whenever Bokuto is off his game—the other members would be shaking their heads, sporting an annoyed expression, or making efforts to lift their emotional captain's spirits up. In Akaashi's case, it's evident that all of them are genuinely concerned.

You are, too, as you could tell the suggestion of a break only made the setter unhappier. He was about to respond, most likely with a polite refusal, but another voice chimed in before he could.

"You're only thinking of what's best for the team, right?" Everyone's heads turn to Bokuto when he speaks. His hands are on his hips and an unusually serious aura surrounds him. "Well, let me tell you this: a worn out player like you isn't going to benefit anyone on the court."

_Yikes._

You almost flinch at his words. Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room was thicker. Konoha doesn't hesitate to elbow Bokuto's side after his blunt statement. "How is that going to help him, nimrod?"

"Ow! I was just trying to say that he should rest!"

Ignoring the bickering duo, Washio makes sure that Akaashi gets their point. "Bokuto's not wrong. Burning yourself out isn't going to help anyone, especially not you, Akaashi."

With these words, you realize that they weren't trying to be nice to the setter. Nor were they coddling him the way Bokuto would've wanted them to if he were in his shoes. The key to reassuring Akaashi was honesty - a reality check, if you will. He kept silent during the time his seniors spoke, absorbing their words like a sponge. When you observe that tears are starting to form in his eyes, you're instantly alarmed.

"...You're right," Akaashi's response comes with a sob, taking everyone by surprise. He's crying now. You're all at a loss for words at the sight of him giving out.

You weren't sure if the others felt the same, but it pained you to see him in tears. You wonder if saying something would help. Probably not. Enough words were said earlier.

Still, you figure that anything would be better than nothing. Should you make a move then? But how?

Something clicks inside your brain soon enough, and you begin to approach Akaashi carefully.

You don't know if he—or anyone else present in the room for that matter—is going to appreciate it, but you don't bother dwelling on the thought and trudge on. His glassy eyes meet yours for a brief moment, looking clueless as to why there was someone right in front of him. He seemed ready to ask, though you've engulfed him in your warmth before he could say anything.

It took him longer than usual to register what was going on.

The manager was giving him a hug. Despite some of the inconsistencies they've had in the past, you've never had to console anyone on the team like this. This is new. Unprecedented. Uncalled for, most of all. You had the whole group gaping, and Akaashi froze on the spot.

It's a known fact that the vice captain stores too many thoughts in his head for anyone to count, but not once did an idea similar to his current situation ever cross his mind, where the manager would be nursing him so gingerly after he breaks into tears. Does he take pleasure in it now that it's happening? Yes. He most certainly does.

He keeps that to himself, of course.

"Sorry," You apologize softly as you hold him, making him slightly confused. "This was all I could think of."

He realizes that he hasn't moved the whole time; his arms were just hanging stiffly on his sides. He quickly changes that by returning your embrace.

"This is enough." He smiles while he rests on your shoulder, tears beginning to dry on his cheeks. As you maintain that position for several moments, you start hearing complaints from the group behind you.

"I… I suddenly don't feel well either," Konoha states after deciding that he can't afford to lose to his junior. "[Name]! I need a hug from you too!"

Komi follows his teammate's footsteps rather quickly. "S-So do I! I'll be able to play better if you-"

"What, are all of you going to start vying for your manager's affection?" Coach Yamiji butts in to extinguish the flame before it turns into wildfire. "Akaashi, take a seat. The rest of you, get back to practice!"

In spite of the disappointment some of them (Konoha and Komi) felt, the members shuffled back to their designated positions. You decide not to wait to be called on as well and pull away from Akaashi so he could settle down.

"Thank you." He says with a smile, which you reciprocate gladly.

"Don't mention it." You motion for him to sit next to Coach and trail after him when he does.

Training resumes without further delay. Coach Yamiji leans backwards and faces the direction you were at, communicating that he wanted to have a word with you. You mimic his posture by tilting yourself back the same way, taking the hint that he didn't want to make Akaashi aware of your discussion.

'Will he be okay?' Is what you read from his lips.

Your eyes flicker to the setter for a brief moment before you mouth some words back. 'I think so.'

You reflect on your earlier actions while spectating practice. It came to mind that when you held Akaashi, he must've been in his most vulnerable state. Something about the thought sends a chill down your spine.

The volleyball may be on the floor right now, but it's only a matter of time before it finds itself at the top of the court again.

* * *

The boys decided to go running after being dismissed for the day. Akaashi had to assure them that he was feeling better, otherwise he would've been left behind. They've put a good distance between them and the school when they find themselves sprinting towards the top of a hill. They stop midway to catch their breath, all of them panting except for the captain himself - he had to go back a few steps because he was ahead of everyone else, and even then he still seems to have a lot of stamina left in him.

"So," Akaashi was slouching forward with his hands on his knees when Bokuto walked up to him. "I think we all want to know what was bothering you."

Akaashi looks up to see that everyone was eyeing him with a hint of worry, proving Bokuto's words to be true. The latter must've realized he was potentially prying because he hesitates right after.

"Uh, but it's okay if you don't want to talk about it! We just want to know if we can help."

Akaashi takes a seat on the rough surface of the road, ready to spill the beans. "Thank you for your concern. I was thinking about nationals."

Bokuto meets gazes with his other teammates, his eyes saying ' _Ha!_ I totally called that one!'. The third years dismiss his childlike behavior, shifting their attention back to their junior.

"I guess you wanted to up your game as soon as possible before the next tournament," Sarukui scoots closer to Akaashi, who nods to confirm his theory. The latter receives a pat on the back from his senior as a means to be assured. "There's no need to rush. We're all on the same boat."

Akaashi nods again, more motivated this time. "Yes. I'm looking forward to evolving as a team." 

"We should ask [Name]-san for a copy of our last match so we can go over it and see what we should work on," Onaga makes a suggestion that all of them seemed to be in favor of. However, at the mere mention of your name, Akaashi's mind wanders to a place he only recently knew. His face reddens as he recalls what happened earlier that day.

Bokuto witnesses this, grinning from ear to ear at the sight of his friend getting flustered. "Speaking of [Name], I caught Akaashi taking one last glance at her before he left the gym."

Komi cackles at the sudden disclosure. "Is that so? You should've stayed behind if you wanted to be alone with her!"

"You guys are reading it wrong," Akaashi tries to save himself from further embarrassment by answering calmly. "She was just looking out for me like she always does with the rest of the team. I thought I should check on her before we left."

"Except she doesn't hug the rest of the team like she hugged you today," Objection is heard from Washio. "She's never done that to Bokuto, and he's the moodiest one out of all of us."

"Well, I think that's because Bokuto-san never cried in front of her." Akaashi's fixed on denying the idea, but his efforts were like building a sandcastle with dry sand.

"Or because she's into you," Smugness is plastered all over Konoha's face as he says this, his elbow propped up on Akaashi's shoulder. It's one guy against a whole group now; there was no hope of winning for the vice captain.

"I think we've been here long enough," Akaashi resorts to evading the subject by creating a new one, getting himself back on his feet. Though the rest of them have no plans of allowing him to live it down, they seem to agree from the way they copied his movements. "We should get-"

"Alright, no stopping now. We're almost at the top!" Bokuto sprints onward and upward as soon as he's warmed up, leaving the rest of them to eat his dust.

"...I was going to say we should get back to school," Akaashi watches as the ace fades out of sight, having no intention of following him. When he faces his other teammates, they're about as ready to go home as he is.

"We'll go with you," Is their simple reply before they begin their jog down the hill, opposite of where Bokuto went.

* * *

You're on your way out of the campus when you see the captain standing outside of the boys' locker room.

"It's just you, Bokuto-san? Where are the others?" You approach him before he could notice you.

"Oh, [Name]!" He greets you with his usual enthusiasm, hand resting on the doorknob. "Why are you still here?"

You tilt your head to the side to motion towards the girls' locker room. "A friend stopped by to borrow notes. And the guys? Didn't you all go running together?"

"Yeah, but I don't know where they went. We were almost at the top of the hill when we took a short break, and then when I said we should start running again they just disappeared." You can't help but feel sorry for the upperclassman after learning why he was all by his lonesome.

"I see." _Those sissies._ You ought to give them a lecture about ditching Bokuto the next time you see them at practice.

"Are you about to go home?" He asks. You nod in return, though you'd hate to leave him alone when it's already been done to him once.

"Do you want to walk home together?" You offer without thinking much of it. He's initially surprised, but he beams in an instant.

"Sure! Can you wait for me to get changed?"

"Absolutely." You smile at him before leaning against the wall beside the door. "You should hurry though, it's getting dark."

"Will do!"

* * *

"What a day, huh?" Bokuto initiates a conversation as soon as you begin your walk with him. He had his necktie loose, blazer unbuttoned, and sleeves rolled up to his elbows. You stifle a laugh as you eye his appearance - it was by far the most Bokuto look you've ever seen.

"Mm-hmm. I didn't expect it to be so emotional." Your gaze shifts to where the campus exit awaits.

"Say, how come you never gave me hugs before? I get emotional too, even more so than Akaashi."

It's an odd question to ask, but you tap your chin with your finger while thinking of an answer.

"That's because they're only for special cases, Bokuto-san."

He grew quiet after your response, so you glance at him and see that he's been looking at you like you just stabbed him in the back.

"Are you trying to say… that I'm not… special…?"

Oh.

How careless of you.

Luckily, you're the manager of the boys' volleyball club, so you're used to dealing with his behavior by now. You simply laugh at his reaction to your words, which confuses him even more.

"That's not what I meant, Bokuto-san." You offer him a smile as you speak. "I've never seen Akaashi in that state before. It felt… a little heavy. I just did what anyone else would do when they see a significant person crying - give that person a hug."

Bokuto seems to want to hear more, so you add a simple conclusion to your explanation. "And, well, I've never seen you cry."

He's apparently satisfied with this as he reverts back to his lively self. "That's what Akaashi said too!"

"Oh, you brought it up with Akaashi too?"

"Kinda," Bokuto lets out a chuckle as he seems to recall events which you were oblivious to. _What on earth did they talk about while they were running?_ You're suspicious for a moment, but you decide to shrug it off soon after.

"Now that you mention it, Akaashi is a significant person to you, no?" You face Bokuto and expect to find a teasing visage, but he turned out to be sincere in asking the question. "You're the only other member of the club who's in the same year as him, so you must have developed some sort of special understanding with him over the past year." He continued.

You ponder on his words as you walk. Truth be told, you and Akaashi get along well, and that's probably because you both take your duties as club members seriously. You're reminded of a time from your freshman year while thinking about it.

("What's that?" You look up at the only other first year student in the room, seeing that he was eyeing the page you've been writing on.

"Oh, um," You tilt your notebook up by reflex so your notes would be hidden. "This is a little embarrassing, but I've been keeping track of Bokuto-san's weaknesses by writing them down. I thought it might be an advantage to the team if we knew him better."

Not far from where you sat, Coach Yamiji can be seen giving Bokuto the scolding of his life. He's already had four mood drops since the start of the week, and it's only Wednesday.

"You do that too?" Akaashi's eyes are glinting over what he just heard. "I also take note of his troubles, though I don't write them down - I just keep them all up here." He points to his temple.

"Really? That's impressive," The pitch of your voice heightens, as if you just discovered that you and Akaashi have the same favorite TV show. "Especially since it's a pretty long list. I've written 18 so far, including the one from today."

"That's the same number as mine. Can I see if I've gathered the same things as you?"

"Sure thing." You reply with a nod, and he claims the vacant seat next to you before you hand your notes over to him.

From the way it looked, Coach Yamiji's lecture to Bokuto was going to take longer than you thought.)

The number of weaknesses you've noted from Bokuto is _way_ past 18 now. If Akaashi still chooses to store all of that in his head, then it's no wonder he's prone to burning out.

"I guess we do understand each other," You smile beside the captain as you admit this. "Don't we all though? Isn't that what makes our team, well, a team?"

"That's true," Bokuto says after a moment of thought. "Man, I can't believe we'll be leaving soon. I might actually cry."

You chuckle lightly, ignoring the fact that the mention of their retirement gave you cold feet. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to keep the number of crybabies in the group at one."

Bokuto guffaws at your reply. "Don't worry, I won't be causing any more trouble for you!"

Now it's your turn to laugh at him. "That's like saying you'll never play volleyball again."

"Hey!" He pouts at you. "...I meant for today only."

You continue your playful banter until you arrive at your stop. A bus is about to halt in front of you when you bid your goodbyes to one another, so your parting words to him were a little rushed.

"Also, you guys better win every match in the future before leaving high school." You say with a hint of assertiveness.

Bokuto gives you a knowing smile in return. "We'll play until we reach the final round of nationals, you'll see."

You mark his words as you board the bus, waving at him through the window before you're sped away. He continues his walk home when you're no longer in sight, feeling more determined than ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you know that a group of owls is called a parliament? i learned that while i was coming up with a title for this story.
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


	2. when in nekoma

Summer is slowly making itself known with its moderate heat. A light wind breezes past your shoulders as you set foot on the polished floors of Nekoma's gym, club members from all sides lining up for a formal greeting.

For the next two days, the Fukurodani Academy Group will be conducting joint practice matches with Nekoma as its host. Although you're always happy about opportunities like this, a feeling of dread washes over you at the overwhelming amount of boys you see at the gym. One thing you learned after becoming manager is that there's no telling with volleyball players; one can be a cool, level headed, and perfectly decent guy, while another can be scary, aggressive, and utterly out of control. Each of them arrived at the scene with the intention of honing their skills, but you still feel the need to keep your guard up for whatever else that might occur throughout the day.

You learn a lot sooner than expected that it was a good call to do so. You've just set your duffle bag on the ground when trouble approaches not in the form of a member of your team, but that of another.

" _[Name]!_ " The person yells as if his entire life depended on it. Startled, you slowly crank your head towards the source and see one of the boys of Nekoma making a beeline for you. Despite the aching desire to do otherwise, you keep your feet planted on the ground.

The guy is distinguishable from his peers because of his blonde mohawk. That, and how he chooses to exist loudly. You've already gotten acquainted during the last time you saw him, so you don't know why you're still surprised.

"I came all this way to see you!" Yamamoto's drawing attention to himself by being as lively as ever. This is exactly what you meant when you said anything might occur. _What is it with volleyball players and the lack of predictability?_ You've only just arrived and you're already backed into a corner by one of them.

"Yamamoto, leave the poor girl alone!" Kuroo's just about ready to collect his overly enthused teammate when you respond.

"That's sweet, but I'm pretty sure you came here to train... and because this is your school." You smile sheepishly at Yamamoto.

"Then please cheer me on!" He retains his loud volume. Your fellow club members think of one thing as they watch him: _Does he think we're in a tournament? Also, does he think she's a member of the cheering squad?_

"I would, but we're from separate teams." You glance back at your said team to remind him of their presence, but it does nothing to prevent Yamamoto from taking another shot.

"Will you pay attention to me at least?"

Really, everyone who's watching him is confused.

You almost admire his persistence. When you think about it, spectating Nekoma isn't an idea you're against; they've been labeled as a powerhouse because of their superb plays, and you're always down for seeing a well-rounded team compete. Nonetheless, you're there for a reason, and it's not to cheer another school on.

You come up with a middle ground to appease Yamamoto and simultaneously tend to your duties as manager.

"When it's your turn to play Fukurodani, I will."

Kuroo interjects before Yamamoto could prolong it any further. "Alright, you've bothered her enough. Sorry about that, [Name]."

Yamamoto's in a dreamlike state as he's dragged away by the back of his collar, which you presume is a good sign. You shake the initial surprise off and resume with your tasks.

"Since when did Mohawk Boy take a liking to you?" Bokuto's warming up with stretches as he asks.

"Since we had our first conversation, I think." You answer while taking a stack of neatly folded jerseys out of your bag.

"Which was?"

You remember it well because Yamamoto stood out just as much as he did not many moments ago.

"The last time we gathered with them, he stared at me so long that I got uncomfortable and told him to stop. He seemed happy that I even spoke to him at all, so he said, 'Please be our manager instead!'" You reenact his gesticulations by moving your fists up and down exaggeratedly. "And that was it."

"Did you say yes?" Onaga asks.

"I didn't arrive here with them today, so..." You snigger softly, much to his amusement.

"He still seems desperate to change your mind though." Washio says as you approach each of them so they could grab a jersey.

"Hmm... I really don't know why." You respond while Komi is in front of you. He looks at you with a mischievous grin, as if he'd just hatched an idea you wouldn't like.

"Akaashi can tell you why." Komi utters playfully, earning a glare from you. Said boy is doing his own warmups when he hears his name.

"I can also tell you that you're wearing your jersey backwards, Komi-san." Akaashi says with a straight face, completely unfazed by the teasing. It's Komi who's caught off guard instead, and you have to bite your tongue to prevent yourself from laughing. You give him a sympathizing pat on the shoulder before dismissing the topic to get on with the day.

"That's enough now. Do your best today, everyone!"

* * *

Your promise to Yamamoto is fulfilled in the late morning.

One might expect a person like him to take volleyball for granted, but that would be wrong. You had to hand it to Yamamoto that he was an excellent player, no matter how his personality could've said otherwise.

That being said...

"Great job, you guys! This is your fourth win today." You're filled with delight as you announce Fukurodani's victory against Nekoma. Regardless of whether it was a practice match or an official one, a hard-earned win always brought a smile to your face.

"How many games have we played so far?" Konoha pats the sweat off his face with a towel while asking.

"Four." You answer with pride, raising the said number of fingers up.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Bokuto pumps a celebratory fist in the air. "This calls for a lunch break!"

"Hang on, you still need to get changed. All of you are sweating buckets." You shoo them out of the gym so they could do as they're asked.

You're about to step out yourself when you see Yamamoto on one of the benches wearing a deep frown. He's breathing heavily, diving drills accomplished only seconds ago. You worry that if he held the facial expression for too long it would turn permanent, so you walk up to him to try and wipe it off.

"Hey," His eyes double in size upon seeing you in front of him. "Those were some pretty awesome spikes earlier."

If they could grow thrice as much, then that might've also happened after hearing your words.

"Th... thanks..." Was all he could muster, too flustered to utter anything else.

You nod in return, pointing your thumb towards the exit. "I'll be going ahead now. You guys should follow soon."

The moment you're gone, Yamamoto's head whips towards his teammate. "Kenma! Y-You saw that, right?!"

"I did." He answers curtly, too engrossed in his phone to spare a glance at the noisy teen.

" _She_ approached _me!_ " Yamamoto nearly falls off the bench from his exaggerated movements. "[Name], Nekoma's soon-to-be manager!"

"Tora, quit being delusional." Kenma puts little effort in taming Yamamoto who fails to listen. Instead, he's overcome with confidence that the next time he flaunts his 'pretty awesome' skills, it would be enough to give you second thoughts about signing up for their team.

"We won't lose to Fukurodani next time! We'll show her how much better we are than them!"

* * *

True to Yamamoto's word, Nekoma secured a win versus Fukurodani in their second practice match against each other in the afternoon.

He was very pleased about it, even relishing the sight of his opponents carrying on with their punishment. However, his gloating was put to an end when the tall, messy-haired setter of Fukurodani stomped out his fire.

Seeing the mere act of Akaashi accepting a water bottle from you is unsightly for Yamamoto. What's more, the boy stood in close proximity to you, leaning close to your frame as you discuss something written on your notebook.

The sight made Yamamoto's blood boil. Even more so when Akaashi caught him eyeing daggers at him, then responded simply by sending a lopsided smile his way.

 _Damn you!_ He nearly pulls his hair out (albeit having only little of it) while stepping to their next practice match. If gazes were able to pierce through flesh, Akaashi would've been seriously wounded at that moment.

The evening arrives and Yamamoto is still pissed as hell. A hostile atmosphere encompasses him when he approaches two members of Karasuno just after dinner.

"Ryu, Noya, I'm going to need your help with something." He says in an intense manner, pictures of you and Akaashi fresh in his mind. "An annoying guy's been bothering me."

Understanding the weight of it in an instant, the two nod along to his request.

* * *

The following day, Nekoma loses to Fukurodani again.

It might've been the defeat that led him astray, but Yamamoto found himself standing before you looking absolutely crushed.

The difference in uniforms made him the odd one out among your group. _What's he going to do this time?_ All of you wonder the same thing.

"Uh... are you okay?" He hasn't uttered a word since he showed up, so you take the initiative to ask.

"[Name]," He finally speaks, then pauses again as if to muster up the courage to say his next words. "I've finally accepted that you won't be our manager."

You had to do a double take on his sentence.

_Is he serious?_

It's the middle of practice and he's stirring up drama. Not that you aren't used to his shenanigans, but this one's flat out ridiculous and he could've chosen any other time besides now to do it.

A part of you just wants to scream at him at this point. What's funny is, you're not even from the same school.

"Yamamoto," You inhale deeply to suppress your annoyance, then cover it up with a forced smile. "Did you really think the best time to say that is now?" You tilt your head a little to the side as you speak.

It came out more as a threat than an actual question, and Yamamoto would be lying if he said he wasn't terrified of you at that moment.

Even the guys of Fukurodani were surprised to see how infuriated you are. A hushed discussion takes place between some of them as they observe what was happening.

"It's almost like something out of a horror movie, minus the special effects." Konoha's hand is raised to the side of his mouth as he whispers to Sarukui.

"She's even captured the scary facial expression perfectly." Sarukui tilted a bit closer to Konoha before he spoke to keep their other teammates from overhearing, but it was no use.

"I'm sure you guys mean that as a compliment, but it also sounds like an insult." Onaga invites himself into their conversation, proving that their efforts to be low-key are pointless.

You revert to your normal state before rejoining the boys, whereas Yamamoto's face was pale as he walked away. He only stammered in response to your reaction, so you easily dismissed him with a reminder that he still had a penalty to get on with.

"I wonder which hurts more: getting shut down by a block, or getting shut down by a girl?" As soon as you're next to him, Akaashi makes a snarky remark with a blank expression.

"Don't rub salt on his wound," You say in a scolding manner. He gives a half-hearted apology in return.

Your gaze follows Yamamoto as he makes a dive for the floor. "He's an oddball, isn't he? He acts like a small excited puppy one day, then a poor abandoned dog the next. I wonder what hit him..."

Though he wouldn't tell you, Akaashi had an idea of what hit Yamamoto, if not exactly what it was.

"Reality, probably."

" _Akaashi!_ "

* * *

Soon enough, your two-day stay at Nekoma came to its conclusion. Club members and teachers alike bid farewell to one another outside of the school, and you take it upon yourself to walk up to a specific guy.

"Hey," You greet Yamamoto from behind, causing him to jolt in surprise before he snapped his head to you. He hasn't bothered you since the incident from earlier and you felt rather bad about it. "Sorry I was harsh."

He blinks in disbelief - seemingly the norm whenever you make the first approach.

"N-No, I should be the one saying sorry! I've pestered you so much since you came!" He waves his hands at you in a frantic manner.

"Hmm, maybe. But you made the past two days really interesting." You show him a smile of appreciation. "Besides, I think you got what you wanted, in a way."

He thought it over for a couple of moments.

During your short stay at Nekoma, you spoke to him more than most girls ever did, lifted his spirits up when he felt down, complimented his volleyball skills, and ultimately lost your patience with him.

It's all he ever dreamed to experience with a manager, and you made it happen.

When realization marks his face, you pat his shoulder in understanding and take your leave. "I'll see you in a few weeks, Yamamoto."

You've mounted your school bus by the time he reaches the second stage of his reaction cycle, which is, after the initial shock, flipping out.

In the meanwhile, something was off about the scenery that welcomed you inside the bus.

On the right side, Konoha, Komi, Sarukui, and Washio occupied each of the single seats, while Bokuto and Onaga took the one at the back. The only vacant spots left were the ones that came in twos, and coincidentally, Akaashi was the last one to arrive before you.

 _What are the odds!_ You say to yourself ironically. It was too obvious that they were trying not to grin from ear to ear.

Unbothered by your shared fate, Akaashi offers you a seat before he takes his own. "After you."

You sit by the window where you wave at the members of Nekoma once more before the bus begins to accelerate.

"To be honest, if I were their manager, I probably would've lost all my hair by now." You direct your comment to Akaashi, who sat to your left.

"You did well putting up with Yamamoto." He rummages in his pocket, revealing a small candy bar afterwards. "Here."

You coo, then accept his offering with thanks. "Who knew looking after someone from a different team would pay off?"

He smiles kindly. "I have more. For times of need."

"Times of need?" You're greeted with slightly melted chocolate when you peel the wrapper. You take it into your mouth as a whole to avoid getting some on your fingers; its bittersweetness spreads on your taste buds.

"When playing gets stressful for us." He gives you bottled water to drink. "Though... I'm the one who eats them mostly."

You nearly did a spit take. When he realizes he put himself in a bad position, he's just as alarmed as you are.

"Only on occasion!"

"Oh," Your hand touches your forehead for a brief moment. "Akaashi... I think it's about time you rested."

You crane your neck to see the other guys already snoozing in their seats. Akaashi nods without protest and shuts his eyes, while your gaze travels to the racing view outside the window.

Before you can realize, you've dozed off as well.

"They're leaning on each other! Quick, take a picture!"

Loud whispers cause you to stir in your sleep, and a bright flashing light cracks your eyes open.

* * *

**the night before**

Unsubtle as they are, Yamamoto, Tanaka, and Nishinoya managed to discreetly follow Akaashi for a portion of the night. There came a point where he went to the boys' bathroom alone, and they knew it was the perfect opportunity to back him into a corner.

Akaashi's spots from the mirror the three hoodlums entering as he washes his hands. No formal greetings were exchanged, just an intense stare off between him and the hotheads straight away.

"Is there something you need?" Akaashi asks nonchalantly.

"[Name]," Yamamoto starts with you right off the bat, "Is she a good manager?"

Of course that's what they want to know. Why else would they approach him?

"...Yes."

" _Dang it!_ " He exclaims, kicking the air then burying his face in his hands afterwards. _Is he_ _a child?_

Tanaka rushes to Yamamoto's side as he begins to sob, giving his friend solid pats on the back. "Keep it together, Tora!"

Nishinoya took the role of speaking on his behalf, sounding less intimidating than they first appeared to be. "Is there no chance at all for her to like our friend?"

"I think she does like your friend." Akaashi answers with honesty, putting Yamamoto's weeping to a halt. Then he adds, "But I also think she likes us more."

Yamamoto didn't want to admit it, but what Akaashi said is likely to be true.

_I appreciate the offer, but I'll stay at Fukurodani._

_That's sweet, but I'm pretty sure you came here to train... and because this is your school._

_I would, but we're from separate teams._

_When it's your turn to play Fukurodani, I will._

He had to face it: you weren't going to be Nekoma's manager anytime soon, because you weren't interested in the first place.

"What did you just say?!" Tanaka and Nishinoya are equally ready to pounce on Akaashi, but Yamamoto stops them with his arm.

"Don't." He speaks softly with his eyes on the floor, struck by a feeling of grief. "We'll leave you alone now."

"But he-"

"It's the truth," Yamamoto digs his hands into his pockets before facing the exit. "It can't be helped if she likes them more."

The two no longer object and scuffle out of the bathroom with Yamamoto, exchanging looks of worry for their friend.

Akaashi lets out a breath, relieved that the ordeal is finally over.

" _Yeesh!_ " A voice coming from the stalls startles him, and he looks up to see Bokuto's head peeking up from one of the doors. "That kid's really into our manager, huh? Shame he can't have her!" He emits a maniacal laugh.

"Bokuto-san, you were here this whole time?"

"Yep! And it's not just me," Kuroo's head pops out of the door next to his.

"Yo, Akaashi. Sorry our ace caused you trouble. I couldn't even take a dump in peace because of that idiot!" His last sentence was meant more for himself than Akaashi, followed by a string of inaudible grumbling.

"It's... fine, Kuroo-san. Uh... I'm going to leave before anyone sees us like this." Akaashi waves as he makes his way out of the bathroom, leaving the two captains on the tips of their toes in the stalls.

"Want to stay a little longer and scare the next person who walks in?"

"Hell yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you want to connect like nekoma, you can catch me on [tumblr](https://tempurah.tumblr.com/). ~~it's still pretty empty though.~~
> 
> thanks for reading! <3


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